1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to handguns, and specifically to pistols and revolvers. More particularly, the present invention relates to handguns having a curvature contoured to a person's body that enables the holder of the handgun to secure comfortably the handgun on his or her person for extended periods of time. The present invention further relates to contoured handguns having laser and light capabilities incorporated directly within the handgun casing, and handguns having a bore-axis sighting component.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, when a person of ordinary skill in the art considers a “curved” firearm, reference is made to those firearms with the ability for utilizing a barrel placed at an angle from the original line-of-sight to facilitate the firing of the weapon in a direction different from the line-of-sight, such as around a corner. There have been many attempts in the past to modify rifles and handguns in order to have these firearms shoot at an angle from the line-of-sight.
For example, the German Sturmgewehr (StG.44), like its earlier versions MP.43 and MP.44m, is a gas operated, selective firearm. The StG.44 also could be fitted with a special curved barrel attachment (“Krummlauf”), which allowed the gun to be fired “around the corner” or inside a tank, without exposing the shooter to the enemy fire. Several types of these attachments were developed, but only one type, the 30-degree “KrummlaufVorsatz J”, was apparently manufactured in any significant numbers. This device had a special mirror sighting adapter and reduced the bullet velocity down to mere 300 meters per second due to the high friction in the curved barrel extension.
Reference to curved barrel firearms, such as the aforementioned, does not include or consider curving the firearm body for a form-fit placement against the user's body when held in a holster. As a practical matter, well over 99% of the time a concealable firearm is with a person, it is holstered against the person's body, and current holstering arrangements require an ergonomic consideration regarding the body—handgun interface to be borne by the holster alone.
The unresolved issue is that a person's body is curved or contoured a certain way, and firearms are not correspondingly curved or contoured for a comfortable fit. The more pronounced a person's curves are, the more uncomfortable it becomes to holster a gun against the person's body. Most likely, both ends of a straight piece of metal held securely against a curved waist will be driven into a person's body and be uncomfortably worn. Approaches in the prior art to solving this problem have focused solely on the holster and especially the holster placement. Holster placement has been divided into two broad categories: those which move the gun away from the waist, and those which move it away from the hip. A high-ride design raises a holstered gun so that more of the gun rides above the belt, and thus avoids pulling the gun into the waist curve. It is comfortable, stable, and easy to conceal, but with so much of the gun above the waist, drawing can be very difficult for “short-waist” persons or those with shoulder flexibility issues. Lowering the holster also gets the bulk of the gun off the waist. Comfortable when worn, a dropped holster design makes the gun very easy to draw. But the lower the gun rides, the more difficult it becomes to find a cover garment long enough to conceal the muzzle end.
Holster placement has long been a solution to concealment and comfort. Outside the waistband (OWB) or belt holsters, are most commonly used by police and military, and by citizens who choose to open carry. Belt holsters can be worn high and close to the body, slightly behind the hip bone, and can be concealed under a long, untucked shirt or jacket.
Inside the waistband (IWB) holsters, which clip or mount to a belt, allow one to securely holster the weapon inside the pants.
Shoulder holsters consist of two straps connected in a manner similar to a backpack, with the actual holster mounted to a strap on the right or the left side. Shoulder holsters are designed to position the handgun either in a vertical position with the barrel pointed generally toward the ground, in a vertical position with the barrel pointed generally upward, or in a horizontal position with the barrel pointed generally behind the wearer.
Sling holsters are similar to shoulder holsters, but instead consist of a band worn over one shoulder and another around the chest.
The “belly band” holster is a wide elastic belt with a built-in holster, usually worn under an untucked shirt to facilitate access. There are various types, worn at the belt line or higher, with the gun placement anywhere from in front to under the armpit. In order to remain in place, a belly band must be extremely tight, which is generally uncomfortable.
Pocket holsters are used for very small weapons, such as a back-up gun. In some designs, the end of the holster takes on shape of the bottom end of a garment pocket.
Small of back holsters place the weapon directly over the center of the back, allowing for even large handguns to be carried with little printing. While both comfortable and stylish, should the wearer fall onto the weapon (such as in a close quarters fight) serious spinal injury may occur.
Groin holsters place the handgun mostly below the waistline around the 12:00 position.
Thigh holsters are a popular military and police item that holds the sidearm on the right leg where the hand naturally hangs, making for a fast draw. Early U.S. cavalry units used these in the early 1900s with a leather thong strapping it to the leg. Modern ones often use a drop leg PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder System) grid with a modular holster attached, often with buckles for quick release. Police and military personnel wear these when a bulky vest makes belt carry impractical.
Ankle holsters offer excellent concealment and are used by law enforcement officials who wish to carry a secondary weapon to back up their primary firearm.
Chest holsters can be attached to compatible vests and chest carriers. Like shoulder holsters, chest holsters are often easier to draw from than belt holsters when the operator is seated inside a vehicle.
Strut holsters are used exclusively for concealed carry. They are worn above the trouser belt line as a cross draw holster located directly under one's arm (9 o'clock position) or toward the front of the body (10 to 11 o'clock position). The design contains a strut which is shaped to nest behind one's trouser belt and attach to the holster at the other end. The strut transfers the weight of the firearm to the belt and retains the weapon in place for secure removal.
In all instances, it is the holster placement and/or shape that aids in concealment and, most importantly, comfort for longtime wearing of a firearm. The firearm itself remains unchanged in design and contour.
Other ergonomic designs include reforming the pistol grip to allow the user better gripping and handling. Typically, this involves contouring the pistol grip for the shape of the hand such as disclosed in EP 0272819 issued to William Batterman Ruger on Aug. 4, 1993, titled “Grips For Handgun.” Additionally, the pistol grip may be formed with indentations for receiving the trigger hand fingers, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D527,166 issued to Hogue on Sep. 30, 1980 titled “One Piece Pistol Grip.” Pistol grips in the prior art are substantially symmetric in design, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,731 issued to Stevens on Apr. 18, 1995 titled “Handgun of Improved Ergonomic Construction.”